During an appearance on the reality television show Lock Upp, actor Ram Kapoor revealed that doctors once warned he could die within six months due to severe obesity and declining health. Kapoor kept the alarming medical diagnosis a secret from his wife and children until sharing it publicly on the show.
Weighing 14-Hour Workdays Against a Dire Medical Warning
While shooting for the television show Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
, actor Ram Kapoor experienced the absolute worst depression of my life,
according to reporting from News18. Despite gaining significant weight and receiving immense public attention that temporarily made him the highest-rated TV star, his health deteriorated rapidly under grueling 14-hour workdays. Kapoor recalled that he was on insulin three times a day as his blood sugar levels fluctuated between 400 and 600.
The physical toll reached a critical threshold when medical professionals issued a stark prognosis. My doctors told me that I had become unhealthy and that I could die in six months,
Kapoor revealed on Lock Upp
, as cited by News18. I could’ve had a diabetic stroke because I was on insulin three times a day.
Despite the severe risks, Kapoor admitted he resisted making changes at the time because the financial rewards and public adoration made walking away difficult.
Hiding a Life-Threatening Secret From Gautami and Family
Kapoor stated that he hid the diagnosis from everyone in his personal life, noting that even his wife, Gautami, and his children were unaware of how close he came to a fatal health crisis during his time on Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
. By choosing to keep the warning private, the actor continued working through his declining physical condition while maintaining a public persona that masked the depression and heavy weight gain underneath.
How Raising Children Provided a Path Back From Depression
Recovery ultimately came from his responsibilities as a father. Reflecting on the turning point that saved his life, Kapoor credited his children with pulling him away from his darkest moments. When you have kids, you live for them and don’t have the right to stop our lives,
Kapoor said, according to News18. That’s the only thing that saved me. It’s the only reason I am alive today.
More than a decade after those health struggles, Kapoor expressed contentment with his life, while noting that his wife Gautami and their children learned of the secret medical warning alongside the audience during the broadcast.
Reflecting on Grief and Prior Family Loss
The revelation about his health scare follows another deeply emotional disclosure made by the actor during his time on the reality show. Kapoor previously shared that he had helped my father plan his death,
explaining that after his father suffered a pancreatic cancer relapse at age 73 and declined further treatment, Kapoor stood by and supported that choice.